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How to rig boomed staysail on cutter rig

Posted: Sun February 20th, 2011, 4:11 pm
by Athaena
Hi,

Does anyone have any photo's of how they've rigged a boomed staysail? I have a selection of deck fittings and the like, but not really sure how to run the string. The halyards etc are no problem, it's how the sheets should be arranged for a "self tacking" (or so I believe) staysail on a cutter.

I have two sprung blocks either side of the cabin top, to large rings on the toerails, a couple of deadeyes on the cabin sides (look like they line up with the blocks) and a vacant cleat on either side in the cockpit.

Any advice gratefully received!

Thanks,

Chris

Re: How to rig boomed staysail on cutter rig

Posted: Thu March 24th, 2011, 2:05 pm
by Fiddler's Green
Hello Chris, I have the boomed staysail on Fiddler's Green.

the sail has to be specially fitted out for the hanks. the lower hanks are not hanked directly to the sail but to a 6mm rope that is woven in and out of pairs of eyelets above and below where the hanks would normallu fit, 3" apart. you can always add the extra eyelets 3" below existing ones.

the idea is, and it works, as you lower the sail onto the boom the luff line with the hanks slackens off, allowing the sail to move aft slightly as it lowers neatly onto the boom. Easy to rig, not so easy to describe.

Maurice gave me the drawing of the rig , it was standard on the Kylix class.

The boom must be pivoted on deck, or in my case on top of the plank bowsprit, 10% of foot length back from tack, approx 1 foot. this allows the boom to slack the shape in sail as it is paid out. That works well too.

I have a single sheet, running on a short length of track fitted on deck. The end is secured on the underside of the boom directly above the track about 3/4 way along the boom. The line passes down to a pulley block on the deck slider then back up to a block on the boom, and from there forward to the boom pivot point. It then is lead aft to the cockpit through small fairleads and into a jammer I have never felt the need for more than the 2:1 purchase.

There are pictures of the rig on several pages, but if that is not enough I will have to make a separate page on the hints and tips page to show it all.

hope all this helps...

I will have to sort out the sail plan drawing and see if I can get it scanned!

Regards,
John

I tend to use it only when on a long trip, helps slightly when going to windward, but running it can help divert the breeze into the Genoa!